In My Shadow
by RandyPandy
Summary: Quint muses over who he once was, and who he is now. PostMMC


Right. Being that Quint is my favorite character and all, I wanted to write another story about him. This time, it's a one-shot. Oh, and it has almost nothing to do whatsoever with the Mega Man Quint series.

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I've never felt more alone, or lost in my life. And considering what I've been through, that's quite a feat. My veil of innocence has been shattered, and now I truly see how cold and cruel the world can be to those unsuspecting. I look back on some of my actions, and think about the irony. I nearly destroyed the very world that I once protected. 

It makes me laugh. The laugh doesn't sound healthy, and at times, I wonder if I'm going mad. Is it even possible to go mad? Maybe it's a side effect of what I went through. But I guess I'll never know for sure. I'll be trapped forever in an endless cycle, watching my younger self be what I once was.

But was I ever truly him? I am not quite sure. I don't have his memories anymore, so I really can't be him. On the other hand, we share the same robotic soul. So who am I? Am I Rockman, the savior of the world, the Blue Bomber? Or am I just a mere shadow of him?

Snatched out of my own world, quite literally, I now wander the planet in an attempt to understand who I once was. I watch him, as he battles the same person that it responsible for the mess I am now in. I help him, though discreetly. Neither knows that I am there, and I prefer for it to stay that way.

Sometimes I do wonder whether I'll ever regain what I have lost, whether I'll step out of the shadow of my former self. It shames me to think that I lost everything so suddenly and easily, that I let my guard down.

I watch him as he battles. It's so amazing; so fluid and energetic. It pains me to think about it, that I once myself used to do the very same things. That I once had everything that he does right now. And I lost it all…

Maybe someday, I'll regain what I lost. But what good will it do me? I cannot use it, and I cannot tell anyone. Perhaps it is better for me to remain ignorant, for me to remain as I am.

On the other hand, if I could find the right people, I could possibly use it to go home and forget about everything that has happened here. This world is so much darker than mine, and I'm a little afraid to stay here. But I have no choice…

As I watch, he falters slightly. That's my cue. Dashing in, I fire a charged shot at the machine, destroying it. I approach him, watching him closely, our eyes locked as he slowly climbs to his feet. I reach out a hand, which he takes.

He stands up, our gazes never wavering from each other. He doesn't know; no one does, except perhaps the one that turned me into this. But something about me unnerves him all the same. Naïve he may be, but he is not stupid. Despite what I've told him and everyone else, there is more to me than meets the eye.

"Watch yourself. Never let there be a moment where he can get you." He blinks at my choice of words, and gives me a crooked smile.

"Yes… I will. Thank you, Quint." He runs away, leaving me to my thoughts again.

While we are the same person, I've noticed huge differences in our personalities. He is bubbly; I am subdued. He is more direct; I am more mysterious. He is pure and innocent; I am more dark and tainted. He knows little about me; I know everything about him. He has never known evil; I have…

On the other hand, we are still similar. We both fight for justice; we both help each other; we both accept each other as a partner. We have saved each other on several occasions, and we generally enjoy each other company, although for different reasons.

I mutely stare at the spot where he had once been, before automatically moving my legs and running off in the direction he had gone. I cannot see him, but I seem to know which direction he had disappeared in. How? How do I know? I think, but an answer does not come to me.

I hear a sharp cry, and, without thinking run towards the sound. He is crumpled on the floor, clutching one arm, his face a mask of pain. Behind him is… the man who wrecked my life. And who, undoubtedly, is going to wreck his. An odd feeling of déjà vu hits me, as I watch the tableau. It all seems… so familiar… I see a weapon, preparing to snatch him…

I can't let it happen. I dash forward, reach out, and, scooping him up, flee back the way I came from. A cry of anger follows me, but I don't stop running until I am far away. When I reach a forest, I halt and gently place him down as to not hurt him further.

He coughs a bit, before saying, "You saved my life again. I guess I got careless." He smiles wryly, before wincing as he shifts his arm. I say nothing, sitting down beside him, watching him as he does his best to repair himself with one arm.

Then, I reach out, gripping his wounded arm, saying, "No. Let me."

"Yes, but…" he starts to protest. I know what he was going to say. The only person with enough knowledge to repair him besides himself is his creator. I knew that. Nevertheless, I check his arm, noticing where it was wounded, and even though he makes a sound of protest, I proceed to fix it.

Twisting it around experimentally, he fixes an odd look on me. "Thanks." He sits back down, and uncomfortable look in his eyes. "Quint… who are you?"

Heh. He is smart. He knows there's more to me than meets the eye, and is finally confronting me. I give him a very dark look. "Rockman… are you sure you want to know?" His eyes widen a bit, before he nods, staying silent.

Do I have the guts to tell? It doesn't matter. I am still trapped in his shadow, and he is the one holding me there. With a sigh, I remove my helmet, open my eyes, and stare at him.

He nearly chokes as he looks at my face for the first time. "You… look like me…" he whispered. "A-are you…?" I nod. He gives a soft sob. "I knew you were from the future, but this I didn't know…" He bows his head, shocked. I lean over and slip his helmet off, and pull his chin up, staring into his eyes.

Our faces are identical, with a couple of key differences. My hair has been in my helmet for a very long time, and it is not as messy as his was. My eyes, while they may be the same, intense sapphire optics, are sharper and slightly colder than his.

"Now you know." He nods shakily, before pulling away from my grip. He continues to sit there, trying to take it in. "Are you okay?"

"Y… yes…" he whispers. "It was just so… sudden… and unexpected… are you the person I am going to become."

I stare at him, before smiling softly. "I hope not." For several long moments, we sit there, thinking. I'm not quite sure what he was thinking about. Maybe about me. But I think about that feeling of déjà vu that I had gotten when I had seen him crumpled like that. Odd, that something that hadn't happened appeared to be so familiar.

Then it hit me. When I was Rockman, that exact same incident had happened to me. However, there was one key difference.

Quint had not been around to save me

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Well? How was it? Awesome, pretty good, okay, bad, horrible? I'll never know unless you review. ) 


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